Felt Orange Slices

What You Need:

• Orange and white felt
• White embroidery floss and needle
• Stuffing, batting or cotton balls
• Optional: green, white, or red felt with black embroidery floss

What You Do:

1. Before she starts cutting and stitching, your child should first make a paper template to trace around on the fabric. For each orange slice, have her draw a 4-inch circle, a 2¾-inch circle, and a long, skinny, leaf-shaped piece that’s about 5½ inches long and 1¾ inches wide at its center.
2. Trace the 2-inch and the leaf shape onto orange felt and carefully cut it out. Trace the larger circle onto the white felt.
3. Using about 14 inches of white embroidery thread, have your child make several long stitches radiating outward from the center of the orange circle; in sort of a star shape. This will imitate the distinctive “sections” of an orange! Make sure she knots the thread on the backside of the felt.
4. Next, let her sew the orange circle onto the white circle, using a simple whip or running stitch. Fold this piece in half: it becomes a wedge when joined with the long leaf-shaped piece. Starting at one end, let her begin to sew the “peel” to the rest of the orange.
5. Leave an inch or two open along one side and stuff firmly with batting, cotton, or whatever scraps you have on hand. She can then finish sewing the slice closed and tie off the thread. Once she’s closed off the stitch, she’ll be all done!
6. This is a great basic pattern for other food that can be cut into wedges: she can also make lime wedges using green and white felt, or apple slices from white and red felt – just have her embroider black “seeds” into the fabric or dot them on with a fabric marker.